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Bratislava boroughs call for halt to logging in vicinity of the city

The mayors of the Bratislava boroughs of Karlova Ves, Devín and Dúbravka are calling on the Environment Ministry and the state forest management company Lesy SR to halt logging in the vicinity of Bratislava. They see the forests surrounding Bratislava not as a source of wood but as places for recreation.

“The programme of care for the forests in the vicinity of Bratislava does not sufficiently reflect their recreational importance and environmental value,” said Devín Mayor Ľubica Kolková, as cited by the SITA newswire. “Moreover, in order for the forests to meet these functions, it is important that the original species of trees are growing there and not monocultures of the ones grown on plantations as is happening now, alas, especially in the flood plain forests along the Danube River.”

The mayors of Karlova Ves, Devín and Dúbravka require the exclusion of logging in the most environmentally sensitive areas as well as those areas used for recreation.

“It is important both aesthetically and environmentally that our precious trees, especially the huge, old oaks and other local deciduous trees, are allowed to live out their natural life-spans,” said Karlova Ves Mayor Dana Čahojová.

The Borough of Karlova Ves has also brought attention to the fact that while all the forests administered by the Bratislava city forest company (Mestské Lesy v Bratislave) have the status of recreational forests, a large portion of the forests in the area administered by Lesy SR are commercial. It also points out that while the city forest company logs an area of 3,100 hectares, harvesting 7,000 cubic metres of wood annually, Lesy SR logs 4,100 hectares, taking almost 17,000 cubic meters of wood annually.

The Lesy SR company administered by the Environment Ministry, has published, for the first time ever, its logging plan and planned measures for the forests in Bratislava and the vicinity. It planned to start on January 22 and they should be completed by March 31. They will take place in Ivanka pri Dunaji, Záhorská Bystrica, Kalinkovo, Devín, Devínska Nové Ves, Podunajské Biskupice and Petržalka. These are in line with the approved plan for 2016-2025 and valid norms.

Lesy SR claims that it is necessary during certain periods to cut and trim trees and take other measures in commercial forests as well as in forests with special statutes, to keep them sustainable.

“The state company Lesy SR is aware of the recreational significance of the forests around Bratislava for its citizens and visitors,” said Ivan Danček, director of Lesy SR’s Smolenice department as cited by the TASR newswire.